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Monday, December 10, 2012

Thoughts and observations on Jets-Jaguars

Some points about the Jets’ 17-10 win at Jacksonville yesterday:
1. As I wrote for today’s editions, this was hardly a vindication for Mark Sanchez. Yes, he got the W, and that’s the most important thing for the Jets, who are very much alive in the playoff hunt.
But this is a difficult formula for victory over the long haul in today’s NFL, when you basically neuter your QB and tell him not to take any chances. Don’t get me wrong—given Sanchez’s propensity for turning over the ball, it’s probably the best strategy right now for the Jets. But let’s face it—a fourth-year pro who was a fifth overall pick in the draft should be beyond this. But of course, Sanchez is not.
2. Yes, Sanchez also is hamstrung by the lack of targets. It certainly hurt that TE Dustin Keller (ankle), one of Sanchez’s favorite go-to guys throughout his career, missed the game. And then WR Stephen Hill suffered a potential serious knee injury in the second quarter. Sanchez and the Jets were fortunate that TE Jeff Cumberland came back after being injured, and thus was around to catch Sanchez’s one big throw, a 37-yarder for a huge first down.
3. Again, the conservative offensive game plan is tough to win with consistently because it leaves little margin for error. Think of how the game might have been different if WR Jeremy Kerley hadn’t been able to touch former Jets S Dwight Lowery when the latter recovered Kerley’s second-quarter fumble. The replay reversal was the correct call, without a doubt. But had that play stood, or had Kerley not touched Lowery down, the Jets would have been staring at a 10-0 deficit and would have had to open things up offensively.
4. Veteran Chad Henne certainly wasn’t Dan Marino, as Rex Ryan once called him after he lit up the Jets while with Miami, but his cause wasn’t helped by bad play-calling. Still don’t understand why offensive-minded coach Jax Mike Mularkey and coordinator Bob Bratkowski dialed up a pass on third-and-1 at the Jets’ 10 in the first quarter. Henne was hit by LB Garrett McIntyre on the slow-developing play, and Bart Scott picked off the balloon Henne threw as he was hit. The Jags had been running the ball effectively, even with fourth-stringer Montell Owens doing the bulk of the work. If you’re going to throw there, why not a quick slant for the first down?
The Jets also are fortunate that Maurice Jones-Drew (foot) has missed a large portion of the season, although Owens did a pretty good impression on his 32-yard sweep left for a TD. It also hurt Henne that WR Cecil Shorts, who had seven catches at Buffalo last week, was inactive with a concussion suffered in that defeat. Fill-in Kevin Elliott had at least two drops, maybe three, depending upon how you’re scoring at home.
Also had a problem with the play-calling on Jax’s next-to-last series. Superstar CB Antonio Cromartie wasn’t on the field because he was having a potential head injury checked out. (He was fine and returned for the final drive.) Yet for some reason, Jax threw the ball on the first two plays before Henne threw incomplete on third down, facing a heavy blitz. The Jags should’ve taken a shot or two against inexperienced CB Darrin Walls, pressed into service at that time because of Cro’s absence.
5. Finally, Ryan’s explanation for not having Greg McElroy active made no sense. He said the Jets needed to activate RB Kahlil Bell because RB-KR Joe McKnight was suffering from a migraine headache yesterday morning. Otherwise, Rex said, he would’ve used all three QBs. OK, but why did Tim Tebow have to be up if he wasn’t well enough to take any Wildcat-style snaps or to be on the punt team? Doesn’t make sense and it’s just another weird chapter in the Jets’ curious handling of Tebow. Despite what Woody Johnson has said, I can’t see this bad marriage lasting past this season.

About

J.P. PELZMAN joined The Record in April 1998. He began his career at the Ocean County Observer in Toms River, where he spent one year before leaving for Newsday on Long Island. At The Record, he was the primary backup on the New York Jets’ beat for nine seasons, from 1998-2006, before becoming the beat writer in 2007. Pelzman also has been The Record’s beat writer for Seton Hall men’s basketball since the 2002-03 season.